Hot-air furnace



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. O. SOPLBISS. 'HQT AIR FURNACE. No; 500,821. Patented July 4, 1893.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. G. SOFLEISS.

HOT AIR FUR-RAGE.

Patented m 4,, 1893 Norma-821.

F119. 5'. an line 5 *5.

(No Model.) 3 Shets-Sheet 3.

l C. G. SOPLEISS HOT AIR FURNAUE- v No. 500,821. Patented Ju1y 4, 1893.

mg ggggm n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONRAD C. SOFLEISS, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY.

HOT-AIR FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,821, dated July 4,1893. Application filed July 6, 1892. Serial No. 4391178. (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;-

Be it known that I, CONRAD C. SOFLEISS, of Woodbury, county ofGloucester, and State of New Jersey, have inventeda new and usefulImprovement in Hot-Air Furnaces, &c., of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to hot air furnaces for heating buildings, audithas for its main objects increased efficiency and heating capac-" ityrelatively to the amount of fuel eonsum ed, and ease and convenience inregulating, manipulating, and clearing out.

To these ends the invention consists in the construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hot-airfurnace embodying my invention, portions of the casings being removed toexpose the internal construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection through the same on the line 22. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 arehorizontal sections on the lines 33, 4-4, 5-5 and 6-6 respectively, ofFig. 2. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of drum. Fig. 8is a vertical section on the line 8-8 of Figs. 2 and 5. Fig. 9 is avertical section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a detail view ofa damper. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a cold air chamber.

Referring to the drawings,A represents the ash-pit; B, the fire-pot orchamber, and G, the grate, all of which may be of the ordinary and usualconstruction. Beneath the ash-pit is located a cold air chamber or tank0, which is preferably formed of terra cotta and provided at its sidewith an opening having a neck o adapted to be connected to a pipeleading to the external air. This chamber is provided at its center witha post 0 on the upper edge of which the base of the ash-pit rests sothat the weight of the ash-pit and the super imposed parts of the heaterare afforded support at the center. I locate this cold-air chamberbeneath the surface of the ground with its upper edge projectingslightly above the same, in position to sustain the outer casing of theheater. Under this arrangement the access of moisture or water to thecold-air chamber will be prevented.

Within the outer casing and above the firepot I locate a smoke drum D,containing a series of hot-air pipes 01 d, &c. I also locate within thecasing surrounding the fire-pot and ash-pit respectively, two smokedrums E and F, each containing a series of vertical air pipes 66', &c.,and ff, (be. The upper smoke drum D rests upon acylindrical crab G,which in turn rests upon the fire-pot. This crab contains in its side aseries of openings g, which communicate with the smoke drum D, as morefully described hereinafter.

The smoke drum D consists of an upper cylindrical ring H and a lowerring I, the latter seated upon the crab G, and provided with openings g,communicating with the opening g, in the crab. Between these rings arearranged the series of vertical hot-air pipes (Z d, &c., which open attheir two ends through the openings in the respective rings, as shown.These pipes are inclosed between two casings H and I, fixed between therings at their outer and inner edges respectively. Under thisarrangement it will be observed that the gases and products ofcombustion pass from the fire-pot into the space between the casings Hand I, and around the hot-air pipe located therein.

I provide the drum D at its center with a casing I forming a combustionchamber 1 in direct communication with the fire-pot. The annular passagebetween the casings H and 1 is in communication with the coldair spacesurrounding the fire pot. The top of the combustion chamberl is closedby means of a circular plate i which is seated upon the casing I At itscenter this plate is provided with an opening through which a hot-airpipe J extends downward through'the crab G, to the air space surroundingthe firepot. At its upper end this pipe is provided between which thevertical cold-air pipes e e are arranged. These pipes are inclosed bymeans of a continuous internal and external casing located between theplates E E at their outer and inner edges the whole forming acrescent-shaped chamber whose ends terminate in front of the fire-potashort distance on either side ofa central line therethrough.

The drum E, communicates at its rear through a vertical pipe E with theupper drum D.

The drum F, is of a construction similar to that of the drum E, andcommunicates at its ends through pipes F F with the drum E.

Within the drum E, at its rear, I extend a diagonal pipe or smoke checkE dividing the drum E into right and left compartments, the Verticalpipe E communicating with one of said compartments and the pipe E withthe other. The pipe E communicates at its two ends with the cold-airspace.

Between the casing H and I of the upper drum D, at the rear, I providetwo pipes or smoke checks L and L, which are formed at their lower endsto completely close the space between the said casings, and which arereduced at their upper ends to admit of the passage of the products ofcombustion therearound. These pipes are in communication at their endswith the cold air space of the heater." The pipe E through whichcommunication is afforded between the drums D and E, is provided in itsside with an opening communicating with the horizontal direct smoke pipeE leading to the chimney and provided with a damper E From this pipe E",a vertical pipe E extends downward to a horizontal pipe E whichcommunicates with indirect smoke flue and dust flue'E This dust flueopens at its upper end into-the indirect smoke flue E and drum E, and ispro vided with a damper K, more fully described hereinafter.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the products ofcombustion will as cend from the fire pot into the combustion chamber 1thereover, and will be directed downward by the plate 2' and will enterthrough the openings g, inside of the crab and ascend into the spacebetween the casings H and I of the drum D, and circulate around thehot-air pipes d, cl, &c., located therein.

Owing to the smoke checks L L, the products of combustion will becompelled to pass upward around the reduced portions of the same andthen downward through the pipe E and form a direct draft outward throughpipe E to the chimney.

For indirect draft when the damper E is closed the products ofcombustion will continue through the pipe E downward and enter drum E,at its back and pass to the front of the same through one side,circulating around the hot-air pipes therein, and outward and downwardthrough the vertical pipe F to the drum F, through which they will passaround the hot-air pipes to the opposite end of the drum, then upwardtherefrom through the pipe F, to the drum E entering the latter at theend opposite that at which bustion will impinge directly against thesame.

they passed out. They will then pass around the pipes therein to therear of the drum, whence they will pass, through the indirect 7o smokeflue above the chamber to the horizontal pipe E then upward through pipeE to pipe E and then out through the chimney. The cold air entering thecold-air tank 0, will pass upward within the outer casing through 7 thepipes in the drums F and E, and will continue upward through the pipeJ,inthe combustion chamber and also through the pipes d d, 850., locatedin the drum D. It will further pass into the space between the casings Hand Hall of these passages opening into the upper portion of the heater,from which the hot air may be conveyed by suitable pipes, as usual, tothe compartments to be heated. Under my construction it will be observedthat the passages for the products of combus tion are exposed on allsides to the cold air entering at the base of the heater, and owing tothe circuitous and extended course pursued by the products of combustionthe cold air is afforded an extended radiating surface. In Fig. 7 I hare illustrated the upper drum D, in a slightly modified form. In thisconstruction the hot air pipes, instead of being vertical and opening attheir lower ends 5 through the lower ring, are provided at their lowerends with elbows, and are located directly over the openings g, from thecombustion chamber, so that the products of com- I00 In order thatprovision may be made for removing soot or dust which may accumulate inthe drums E and F, I provide the same in their under sides with openingsfrom which inclined pipes M M, &c., extend which are connected at theirends with horizontal pipes M These horizontal pipes extend outwardthrough the outer casing of the heater and are closed by caps m. Theyare each provided with a rake or scraper m, which is provided with asuitable handle m By removing the cap the rake may be withdrawn andeffectually remove the accumulated soot or dust from the drums, which onaccount of the inclination of the pipes leading therefrom will enter thehorizontal pipe before mentioned.

a The damper K, already referred to, is mounted on an operating rod 70,which is in turn mounted in the dustflue to rock. The damper properconsists of an elliptical plate from the surface of which two armsextend upward and then laterally, leaving a space between their ends andthe surface of the plate. This space is adapted to receive theoperating-rod which is formed to fit snrrgly therein. and rock thedamper. Under this construction it will be seen that'the damper propermay be removed from the operating rod without it being necessary toremove the latter from the pipe. I 30 The damper K is located in thedust flue opposite the horizontal pipe E and the latter is closed at itsouter end bya removable cap. By taking .off this cap the damper may bereached and removed or replaced from the outside without separating thepipe or disturbing any part of the furnace.

It is to be understood, of course, that my furnace may be employed as asteam or water heater provided the construction herein described isretained and its operation is es sentially the same, in which case thesteam or water will pursue the course followed by the air.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is t 1. The combinationwith the fire pot of the crescent shaped smoke drums each provided withvertical cold-air passages, said drums being located one above the otherand communicating with each other at the ends, one of said drums dividedinto two parts by a partition at the rear, and having draft inlet andoutlet at opposite sides of said partition.

2. The combination of the ash-pit, the firebox, and the combustionchamber, with the smoke drums surrounding said parts, the drum of thefire-pot communicating with the ash-pit and with the drum surroundingthe latter, and the drum of the combustion chamber having directconnection with the outlet flue, and also a circuitous connectionthrough the other drums, and a damper for changing or reversing saidconnections at will.

3. The combination with the combustion chamber, and the ash-pit, of thesmoke drum communicating therewith, the series of air pipes extendingthrough the smoke drum and communicating with the cold air space betweenthe casing and the combustion chamber, the smoke drum E, communicatingwith the smoke drum D and surrounding the fire pot, the series of airpipes extending therethrough, the smoke drumF, surrounding the ash-pitand communicating with smoke drum E, and the series of air pipesextending through the same.

4. The smoke drum for hot air furnaces comprising a vertical annularchamber closed at the top and having through its bottom inlet and outletsmoke passages alternating with each other, vertical air pipes passingthrough said chamber, and smoke checks lo- I smoke checks in said drum,the drum E,

communicating at one side with the drum D,

the seriesof air pipes therein, the drum F,

communicating at'its ends with the ends of the drum E, the air pipes insaid drum F, and the pipe leading from the said drum to the chimney.

6. The combination with the smoke drum provided at intervals with thecold air pipes extending therethrough of inclined pipes extending fromthe under side of said drum between the cold air pipes and thehorizontal pipe into which the inclined pipes lead.

7. In a hot-air furnace, the combination of the combustion chamber, theexternal casing, the intermediate smoke drum, the series of pipesextending therethrough and the pipe E also extending throughsaid drumand dividing the same into two compartments, said pipe communicating atits ends with the air space between the external casing and thecombustion chamber.

8. The combination with the dust-flue and with the pipe E open at itsouter end and provided with a removable cap, of the rotatable damper-rodpassing transversely through the dust flue, and the damper platesupported on said rod and removable therefrom in a direction at rightangles to its axis, whereby the damper plate is adapted to be removedand replaced through the pipe E In testimony whereof I hereunto set myhand, this 1st day of July, 1892, in the presence of two attestingwitnesses.

CONRAD O. SOFLEISS; Witnesses:

W. R. KENNEDY, F. S. ELMORE.

